Malawi’s electoral commission on Saturday said presidential elections will be held on May 20, two days later than originally scheduled, following opposition complaints over irregularities in the Southern African country’s computerised voters’ roll.
A Malawi high court on Friday had already ordered the elections postponed by a maximum of seven days.
”After a thorough meeting, the nine-member commission decided to comply with the high court’s ruling and agreed to shift polling day from May 18 to May 20,” chief electoral officer Roosevelt Gondwe told reporters at a news conference.
Gondwe said the campaign period has also been extended and will end at 6pm local time on May 18.
”The commissioners unanimously agreed not to contest the shift in the polling date,” he added.
But the commission said it will challenge a part of Friday’s court order that said excess ballot papers should be surrendered to the high court.
”The commission is the only body in Malawi mandated to run elections, including the administration of ballot papers,” Gondwe said.
A hearing on the case was to be held at the Blantyre High Court on Sunday.
The seven-party opposition Mgwirizano (Unity) Coalition led by presidential candidate and veteran opposition politician Gwanda Chakuamba had argued there were serious flaws in the new computerised voters’ roll.
After the roll was revised eight days ago, the total number of registered voters plummeted by nearly one million to 5,7-million from 6,6-million. — Sapa-AFP